BK lecture with Marilyn Douala Manga Bell
Titled "The Art Practice and the Practice of Public Art in Douala," this year's BK Lecture will take place on Sunday morning, Feb. 4. As always during Art Rotterdam. This time the lecture will take the form of an interview in which Marilyn Douala Manga Bell talks about her role as commissioner of exhibitions and art in the public space of the city of Douala in Cameroon. The spoken language will be English.
Marilyn Douala Manga Bell will be geïnterviewed by artist Liesbeth Bik. With Jos van der Pol, she forms the collective Bik Van der Pol. She is an advisor at the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht, lecturer at the Piet Zwart Institute Master of Fine Art in Rotterdam, and president of the Academy of Arts, which is part of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).
Questions such as What does an art practice in Cameroon look like? How can you build an art practice with few resources? And what can we learn from this? What does Marilyn Douala Manga Bell's work mean for artists in the city and the art climate of the city of Douala?
Marilyn Douala Manga Bell (born 1957) is an economist and founder and director of the art organization doual'art in Douala. Marilyn was born into the noble family of Rudolf Douala Manga Bell and graduated in Paris with a Master's degree in Development Economics. While studying, she met Didier Schaub whom she married and returned to her hometown of Douala in 1986. There she worked in various capacities on the urban development of Douala, with support from various international organizations and governing bodies, including the World Bank, the European Commission and some regional European political governing bodies.
In 1991, she and her husband founded the Center for Contemporary Art doual'art on, with which, since 2007, she has led the triënnale SUD (Salon Urbain de Douala) organize. Doual'art was awarded a Prince Claus Prize in 2009. Marilyn's involvement included Mobile A2K: Resources Interfaces and Contents on Urban Transformation, which she co-organized with the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Curating in Africa Symposium at the Tate Modern in London.
Marilyn's role in the visual arts field in Douala cannot be underestimated. She encourages art in public spaces there by enabling and, in collaboration with the artists and her organization, realizing commissions. Also, doual'art literally provides space for many local artists to exhibit. For many, doual'art has proven to be a springboard to an international carrière as artists, such as Justine Gaga, Salifou Lindou and Pascale Marthine Tayou.
Date and time
Sunday, Feb. 4, at 11:30 a.m.
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Of course, non-subscribers are also welcome. They pay 15 euros for a ticket. Entry to the fair is unfortunately not possible for them.
After registration and payment, we will send further instructions via email a few days before the lecture. If you qualify for tickets to Art Rotterdam, you will receive notification from us around January 25.
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Art Rotterdam 2024
Art Rotterdam celebrates its 25th edition, from Thursday, Feb. 1 through Sunday, Feb. 4, for the last time at Rotterdam's Van Nelle Factory. The 12th edition of Prospects shows work by 86 talented, up-and-coming artists, and there is a spectacular collection of large-scale outdoor works. In addition, there is the new section Artistic Matter. See also artrotterdam.com
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